WEBVTT THIS IS "CHRONICLE" ON WCVB CHANNEL 5. SHAYNA IS ALL BUSINESS. 27, YOUR ORDER IS UP AND IT LOOKS DELICIOUS. DOING RESEARCH, GETTING THE FACTS. THEY'RE TAKING SHORT CAT NAPS RIGHT NOW. SHE STUDIES THE SUCCESS OF A 100-YEAR-OLD COMPANY, AT BRIGHAM'S. THE VAL AND YOU THE QUALITY. AND? NOTHING SHORT OF CLAM-TASTIC. WOODMAN'S KNOWS, IF IT AIN'T BROKE, DON'T CHANGE THE RECIPE. TRUE TO TRADITION AT THE CHATHAM BARS INN, 100 YEARS IN BUSINESS. HAPPY CENTURY! NEXT ON "CHRONICLE." GOOD EVENING. IT WAS THE YEAR THAT BABE RUTH MADE HIS DEBUT. CARS WERE NOT YET COMMON PLACE, AND WOMEN DID NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO VOTE. THAT'S A LONG AGO EACH OF TONIGHT'S COMPANIES GOT ITS START. WE BEGIN ON THE NORTH SHORE WHERE SHAYNA SEYMOUR SAYS YANKEE INGENUITY WAS THE START OF SOMETHING BIG. THE BAY STAY BOASTS THE LONG LEG AS OF INVENTION, FROM THE COTTON GIN TO THE POLAROID CAMERA, TO E-MAIL. BUT IT'S LIKELY NO INNOVATION HAS INSPIRED MORE RAPTURE THAN THE ONE COOKED UP BY LAWRENCE HENRY WOODMAN, BETTER KNOWN AS CHUBBY. COMMUNITIY WOODMAN, FATHER OF THE FRIED CLAM. MY GRANDFATHER OPENED UP SHOP IN 1914. HE NEEDED THE PLACE TO SELL HIS CLAMS BECAUSE HE WASN'T MAKING MUCH MONEY SELLING THEM TO A DEALER. STEVE TELLS US HIS GRANDPARENTS, CHUBBY AND BETSY, WERE HAVING BETTER LUCK SELLING DEEP FRIED POTATO CHIPS THAN THEIR CLAMS. WHEN A CUSTOMER AT THEIR ESSEX MARKET OFFERED UP A NOVEL NOTION. HE SAYS, CHUBB, IF YOU TAKE SOME MUCH THOSE CLAMS AND FRY THEM LIKE YOU DO THE POTATO CHIPS, I THINK PEOPLE WILL REALLY LIKE THEM. 3,700,000 ORDERS OF FRIED CLAMS LATER, GIVE OR TAKE, AND THE VERDICT APPEARS TO BE IN. WHAT'S THE SECRET, WHY DO THEY TASTE SO GOOD? IT'S THE CLAMS THAT WE BUY, THEY'RE LOCAL, FRESH CLAMS. NOT SOAKED OR ANYTHING ADDED TO THEM. IT'S A FRESH, SWEET CLAM. CHUBBY'S INVENTS HAS BEEN NOTHING SHORT OF CLAM-TASTIC. WOODMAN'S IN ESSEX HAS GATHERED UP BUSHELS OF AWARDS AND WORLDWIDE ACCLAIMS. TO CELEBRATE THEIR 100 YEARS IN THE BUSINESS OF BIVALVES, THE AT THE HAS COMMISSIONED A NEW BOOK, WOODMAN'S OF ESSEX, FIVE GENERATIONS OF STORIES, 100 YEARS OF RECIPES. PEOPLE THAT WE'VE TALKED TO THAT HAVE READ IT SAY THEY'RE READING IT LIKE A NOVEL. NAY START READING IT AND CAN'T PUT IT DOWN. WOODMAN'S IS NOTHING IF NOT FAMILY FRIENDLY. IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE. SO HOW MANY FAMILY MEMBERS WORKING HERE CURRENTLY? OVER 40 ON THE PAYROLL THIS SUMPLET ON HAND TODAY, STEVE'S SONS EVEN AND STEVE JR. SISTER CYNTHIA, BROTHER DOUG, EVEN A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE FIFTH GENERATION, CHRISTINE. INDEED OVER THE YEARS ABOUT 300 WOODMAN'S HAVE PUT IN TIME AT THE FAMILY BUSINESS. AND SOME EMPLOYEES HAVE BEEN AROUND SO LONG, THEY MAY AS WELL BE FAMILY. OVER 50 YEARS ON AND OFF, I STARTED WHEN I WAS A TEENAGER, 13 TO 14. RALPH HOLLY GOES ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE DAYS OF FOUNDERS, CHUBBY AND BETSY. I'VE ENJOYED ALMOST EVERY MINUTE. WITH SUCH A LARGE AND LOYAL STAFF, I'M A LITTLE CONCERNED I MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO FULFILL ONE OF MY SECRET ASPIRATIONS. WE HAVE A NUMBER 27, PLEASE, 27. YOUR ORDER IS UP, AND IT LOOKS DELICIOUS. BUT THE WOODMAN'S FAMILY GRACIOUSLY -- YOU'RE ON DECK. YOU'RE ON DECK -- GIVES ME A CHANCE TO SHOWCASE MY MICRO SONIC TALENT. NUMBER 22, YOUR ORDER IS READY, FRIED CLAMS, SOME DELICIOUS LOOKING ONION RINGS. THANK YOU. SHE'S LEGIT. MAN, THIS FOOD IS GOOD, I'LL TELLING YOU, LUCKY NUMBER 24, YOU'RE UP AS WELL. I WILL NOT TAKE ANY OF YOUR CLAMS, BUT I AM TEMPTED. OF COURSE, THERE'S MORE TO WOODMAN'S THAN CLAMS. WE HAVE THE SCALLOPS, THE SHRIMP, THE FISH. NOT TO MENTION THAT MOST KINGLY OF CRUSTACEANS, LOBSTER. WOODMAN'S WILL BOIL UP ABOUT 400 POUNDS ON A TYPICAL SUMMER DAY. HE'S IN CHARGE OF THE CLAMS, I'M IN CHARGE OF THE LOBSTERS. DOUG WOODMAN IS CO-C.E.O. WITH BROTHER STEVE. HE SAYS THE RESTAURANT IS JUST THE BEGINNING. WOODMAN'S TRUCKS ARE OUT EVERY DAY CATERING TO THE MASSES. WE'VE DONE OVER A THOUSAND CLAM BAKES IN A YEAR, THAT MEANS DURING SUMMERTIME ON A BUSY SATURDAY WE DO 20 TO 25 CLAM BAKES A DAY. BUT ONE NUMBER STANDS OUT AMONG ALL THE REST. ZERO. THAT'S THE NUMBER OF CHANGES MADE TO CHUBBY AND BETSY'S ORIGINAL RECIPE OF CORN MEAL AND EVAPORATED MILK. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE FACT THAT HUNDREDS IF NOT THOUSANDS OF BUSINESSES OUT THERE COPY WHAT YOUR GRANDFATHER CREATED? I THINK IT'S GREAT, I REALLY DO. I THINK IT'S GREAT THAT SOMETHING THAT MY GRANDFATHER THOUGHT OF CAUGHT ON AND IS AN ICON FOR NEW ENGLAND. IT IS AN ICON, AND A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK OF HO SWR O'S OR HOWARD JOHNSONS WHEN THEY THINK OF FRIED CLAMS. HOUR JOHNSON HELPED TO POPULARIZE FRIED COLLAPSE ACROSS THE COUNTRY, ACTUALLY LEARNED FROM CHUBBY HIMSELF AND TOOK THE RECIPE ACROSS THE COUNTRY. THE THING HE DIDN'T DO THOUGH WAS CLAM BELLIES DON'T TRAVEL WELL, SO HE POPULARIZED CLAM STRIPS ONLY AROUND THE COUNTRY, WHICH TO THE PURIST IS REALLY NOT A FULL FRIED CLAM. NOT THE SAME. BUT DID MAKE IT POPULAR AROUND THE COUNTRY. SHAYNA TELLS US GUESTS ARE TREATED LIKE ROYALTY AT THE CHATHAM BARS INN. NOW,